If you are you an independent birdwatcher, who does not care for large group tours, then Birdingpaltours is for you

Our tours are flexible, safe and the use of a local guide lets you participate in the planning

A local guide knows all the hotspots and you get the most out of your trip

You select the date and length for a trip to suit youself

If your time is limited, we’ll design a tour to fit your needs

A professional Birdingpal guide can customize your tour, and you will see the birds you want.

Your guide is also your travel companion, who will make sure you experience the native people, scenery, culture, history and food, first hand.

You will enjoy the advantage of all the attention you get in a small group, for the same price or perhaps even less, than you will pay if you travel with the large tour groups from other countries

Remember, the next time you travel, you do not have to miss the birdwatching if your partner or travel companions are non birders; a local guide is flexible, and will easily accommodate other needs too

Hiring a Birdingpal guide will boost the local economy and help protect birds other wildlife and their habitat

Sanh Sophoan, your local Birdingpal guide
Sophoan, or So, is a Senior Bird Guide and has worked for SVC since 2006. She has led tours for companies including Albatros, Zoothera and Bird Tour Asia as well as for many individual birders from all over the world. A dedicated birder Sophoan is always keen to get out and see more birds and has visited Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia in pursuit of new species. She is also a qualified temple tour guide for the many cultural wonders of the Angkor area.
She lives with her family in Siem Reap.

Nara Duong, your local Birdingpal guide
Nara is a Senior Bird Guide. He joined SVC in 2007 and has led many birding groups, including tours for BirdQuest, Vent and Avifauna along with many individual birders. He is also a driver. He loves exploring new things, meeting people and taking them to see his nature and culture. He will do his best to find specific birds that his clients want to see. Nara is also excellent at picking up birds on call. Nara was born to a farmer family with 6 children to the east of Siem Reap and left in 1998 to find work and study English. Soon he managed to get a job as a driver taking tourists around the Angkor area before joining SVC.
Nara lives with his wife and their young sons in Siem Reap.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Sopheap.

Testimonial.
The Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation arranged a hassle-free birding trip to search for the endangered Giant and White-shouldered Ibises. Reliable and comfortable vehicles took us to the village of Tmatboey, where we had basic lodging (no electricity or plumbing)** and good meals, all arranged by the community. The knowledgeable and friendly local guides took us out early in the morning and easily found our target species. A host of other interesting birds, including Pale-capped Pigeons and Great Slaty Woodpeckers, was also seen. The trip was very well run and we were glad to see this small, rural community
profit from our visit. A wonderful, memorable time was had by all.
dana(AT)gardnerbirds.com
** WCS has built a new eco-lodge for tourist in Tmatboey, there are 3 bungalows (the 4th is coming), 2 rooms for each bungalows, and 2 single beds in each room with bathroom attached and solar power.
I spent almost two weeks in Cambodia, birding with Sophal, in February 2007 and his punctuality, good humour, enthusiasm for birds, and ability to cope with all organizational eventualities were remarkable. As a guide, I would recommend him.
pdround(AT)ksc.th.com
We really enjoyed our guide Sopheap who was so enthusiastic about the birds and wanted to show us every species of note in Cambodia. ' The local guide at Tmatboey worked very hard as well; after we had been out all day, he went out in the evening trying to find the white shouldered ibis for the next day's birding.
Talking of working hard, the two women who prepared our meals seemed to work around the clock. Their day started at 3:30AM and
lasted till well after dark. Their effort to provide vegetarian fare was much appreciated '
We were quite impressed with how the birding has helped the village of Tmatboey with the rebuilding of the main street and the employment opportunity for the young women who had cold drinks for sale after we had been out birding in the heat. The drinks made the heat bearable.
Cambodia, which we decided on as an afterthought, was a very enjoyable part of our trip and I would recommend it as an integral part of any South East Asia tour, birding or otherwise. Now, if they would only finish the road from Thailand to Siem Reap. Thanks again for all your efforts and our best wishes to Sopheap.
macnest(AT)mnsi.net

Bopanna Pattada, your local Birdingpal guide
I am very passionate about nature and have been fascinated by birds and animals since childhood. Though I graduated as an engineer and worked for a decade as a software specialist, most of my weekends were spent birding. Since the last few years, I work as a full time birding and fishing guide and find great pleasure in taking other birders and anglers into the outdoors. I spend a great deal of time in the field, to find new locations and practice birdcalls to ensure that my clients have a successful and enjoyable trip. I am trained in first aid techniques and outdoor survival. I speak all the local south Indian languages and have a network of friends spread across the country. I make it a point to keep track of the best restaurants along the route to ensure that my clients taste the best local cuisine. I am also a keen photographer and offer my clients record shots of their sightings at the end of the trip. We use a four-wheel drive vehicle for all trips to ensure that walking around is minimized wherever possible and the vehicle can handle bad roads. Safety and hygiene are of paramount importance during all our tours.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Bopanna.

Testimonials.
I recently completed a short business trip from the US to Bangalore, and wanted to have day's birding in the area. Bopanna was the perfect match for my needs, offering short and longer guided outings that would be impossible to organize independently. Pre-trip contact and organization was smooth and informative, and arrangements easy to set up and schedule. I was picked up on-time by my guide for the day, Bopanna, whose approach, knowledge, and companionship made for a superb day in the Nandi Hills and surrounding area. We spent a full day birding and managed to see over 100 species including most of the expected birds and a few endemics. The day exceeded my expectations in every way, a great experience with wonderful birds and scenery,
and Bopanna's friendly approach ensuring that it was comfortable and enjoyable.
I can highly recommend Bopanna, and I'm looking forward to being able to take a longer birding trip in the near future.
Simon Lane, Chatham, NJ, USA. simon_c_lane(AT)hotmail.com

Sunil Kumar, your local Birdingpal guide
My name is Sunil Kumar I have been a registered (Tourism Department of Uttarakhand) guide since 1995. I have lived here, in Nainital, all of my life and have extensive knowledge of the area. I specialise in tailor-made itineraries to suit the independent traveller, and in particular bird-watchers, as I am a keen bird-watcher and nature lover myself. My mother tongue is Hindi and I speak good English.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Sunil.

Testimonials.
I had visited Nainital for bird photography from 16th March to 20th March. I must say, I was fortunate to
have Sunil with me. Sunil knows his birds, and also their calls. His identification is near instant. He knows all the hot-spots. Most importantly however, especially from a bird photographer’s point of view, is his quality of extreme patience. There were times where I got rooted to a spot for hours on end to get that right shot, and Sunil just sat through it patiently and cheerfully. I would recommend his services to everyone, who intends to go birding around Nainital.
Parag Joshi. Baroda, Gujarat, India.
We had a very good day's bird spotting with Sunil, in spite of the rain. Sunil knows where all the good birds are and eyes like a hawk.
Andy Anderson and Ben Blewitt, AA Birding and Travel (Australia)
We spent an excellent morning bird watching around Snow View and Fairlight with Sunil. He immediately started finding
interesting birds and took us on a wild path through the forest. He was very knowledgeable, not only about birds, but also pointed out all the peaks. Among the birds he showed us were, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Brown-headed Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Rufous Sibia, Bar-tailed Tree Creeper, Streaked Laughing Thrush, Striated Laughing Thrush, Rufous-crowned Laughing Thrush, White-throated Laughing Thrush, Nepal House Martin, Long-tailed Minwet (to name but a few).
James Champion (My father was a conservator of forests in Nainital in 1930-40). Personally I want to thank you for a wonderful birding experience, a lovely sunrise over the Himalayas and very interesting talks on the trails. Nigel Champion, UK.
We came to Nainital from far away, not to honeymoon but to birdwatch. Had we not met Sunil by accident, we may not have achieved the purpose of our week long visit. Sunil was a great help in getting us to the few places where the hard to locate birds can be found. Sunil can identify these birds by their vocalisations before he sees them. We consider Sunil an expert birding guide and now also a friend. India can and should be proud of such a fine young man. Thank you Sunil, thank you India for your beautiful birds.
Birdingpals Alicia and Dieter Kamm, Sierra Vista, Arizona
Sunil has the complete set of everything that makes a bird Guide perfect. His knowledge of local birdlife (including call's, habitat,ages,sexes,etc.)is excellent for all species. His English is really top notch, he is personable, friendly, affordable,and very cool and relaxed. Sunil also knows about all the local' Furnies' (Mammals, Barking deers, Serow, Goral, Himalayan marten etc.). Above all Sunil is exeeding reasonably priced. You couln't ask for more in a birding Guide. He is by far best birding Guide, I have had in all of India (and I've been birding here for 5 months). James Lambert (England).October-2011 - Birding with Sunil and Pangot. After couple of hours with Sunil, it becomes quite obvious, that he is into birding passionately. This is one guy who is into birding, learning, reading, nature whether there is a client or not. He exists for birds! He can tell avian friends by their call & will ID the bird in one glance from a moving car. Polite & modest, Sunil is a pleasure to have around. He is an unobtrusive discreet guide, who works with typical dignity & poise of the mountain people. A few more like him and my country’s birds would in good hands. God Bless. Rajesh & Ritu (India).
8.12.11 - Had a brilliant day looking for Pheasants and other birds. Sunil knows the area very well and knows the birds call. He got quite a few new birds, that I would not have found without him. I would recommend him to any birdes and bird tour company, who are looking for a guide in this area. Sunil is easy to get along with and speaks better English than me. Rab Shand, Ornithologest, Scotland.
7.2.12 - Two special days, Special bird’s, Cheer Pheasant, Koklass and Hill Partridge. I must add that we had 2 very good days of birds. Sunil knows the trails where you can find some of the ‘Specials’. He willalso organize a car, so Nainital area will be stress free. Sunil is easy going and speaks good English and local language making easy to travel around. If you come around plesae take him to guide you. Alberto Garcia Rlos, Ibiza, Spain. Euggni capella, Barcelona,CAT.
February 1-10, 2013
I found Sunil Kumar on the Birdingpal Guides page and asked him if he could arrange a private 10-day trip for me through the Ramnagar–Pangot–Nainital area, which he readily agreed to, and we soon had dates, itinerary and cost worked out via email—which we followed without a hitch. Sunil is a very reliable organizer as well as an excellent birder and an extremely resourceful, hardworking advisor. Everything happened in its time and how it was supposed to, from my being picked up at my Delhi hotel to my return there ten days later.
I was immediately impressed at his generous personality and how personally he took responsibility for anticipating my needs and desires, right down to our tea stops, packed lunches, and hot water supplies, and for providing a maximal birding experience every moment. I am a rather indefatigable hiker, used to long days in the field, but Sunil led our expedition right to the end and was never ready to give up until I did. He is an outstanding birder; he doesn't carry a field guide, but he can tell you the page that the bird is on in the one you're carrying.
I soon discovered that Sunil has a broader knowledge of the natural and historical India around him than just the birds, as he also plans trips for trekkers and other sightseers as well as birders, and he was a wealth of information on many things we saw in passing.
Frankly, Sunil has become a friend whose pleasant companionship I already miss, and I think you will feel the same.
Charles Harper, Yokohama, Japan
We had the great pleasure of using Sunil as a guide for three days when bird watching at Nainital and area between 11th and 13th January 2013. We found Sunil to be a brilliant guide who really knew his birds and where to find them. His knowledge of the bird calls was truly impressive and helped us to enjoy many excellent sightings. Sunil’s ability is right up there with the best of bird guides. We have used many professional bird guides in various countries and found Sunil to be the equal of most and better than many and would thoroughly recommend Sunil as a guide to any serious bird watcher.
Furthermore Sunil was a very pleasant and likeable guide who spared no trouble in trying to find as many birds as he could. He had endless patience especially with me (Roly) when I could not get onto a bird. If bird watching in the Nainital area I would say use no other guide than Sunil.
This is an unsolicited testimonial and I would be happy to reply to anyone considering using Sunil’s service at birders(AT)adam.com.au
Roly Lloyd and Dr Robert Sothman Adelaide South Australia

Peter Lobo, your local Birdingpal guide
I am expert birding guide and photographer. I personally operate all our premium birding tours. For the last 10 years, I have been guiding high altitude treks, wildlife safaris, tribal tours and a lot of other "off the beaten track" adventures to all parts of India and Bhutan. During treks through various habitats, I developed an interest in birding, which became a passion. The ability to spot and identify birds, expert knowledge about "hot spots", and habitat, and rapport with local people and guides are my greatest assets. I have explored and located many new "hot spots" and trained local guides in the Kalimpong-Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assame, Mehgalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal, Pradesh, Himachaln Pradesh and Bhutan.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Peter.

Testimonials.
Firstly a big thank you for your excellent logistics and guiding in NE India. Everyone has genuinely gone away with very
positive feelings about the trip and most of us are looking forward to the opportunity to return.
Chris Bradshaw, United Kingdom, 2006 - chris(AT)northkentbirding.freeserve.co.uk
First of all, we thank you so much for your kind cooperation during our birding shooting in North Bengal. It was really so nice of you that you have spared your precious time for us.. It was also a great experience for all of us. We are really impressed to know how you distinguish the sound of different birds, and your large knowledge about wild lives...!
Toko Miyasato, Japan, 2007 - toko-m(AT)gf6.so-net.ne.jp
Thanks for organizing a great trip again. I thought Nagaland was a fantastic place with good habitat that would generate further
exploration. Thanks also for the generous hospitality in your home, I liked Kalimpong very much.
Nick Senior, United Kingdom, 2007 - ncksnr(AT)yahoo.co.uk

Nurlin Djuni, your local Birdingpal guide
Properly the guide with the most experience and the largest smile is Nurlin Djuni, a native of the Palu area. Nurlin is
available to meet travelers to the region in Palu, Toraja Land or Manado. From there he will arrange trips to any number of locations throughout Sulawesi. Nurlin has been making the visit of international travelers to Central Sulawesi more pleasant for a number of years, and with his ability in local languages and dialects, as well as English, will make sure your trip is memorable

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Nurlin.

Testimorial.
If you go to Sulawesi you must get in touch with Nurlin Djuni, he is the best guide in the area and has all the contacts to source mammal sites if he doesn’t know them himself. He is originally from Palu but works all over Sulawesi, nearby islands and I think Irian Jaya as well. The only world-class birding guide we had was Nurlin Djuni. Nurlin joined us for our few days on Halmahera and a day on Ternate. He helped us find most of our target birds fairly quickly and I had the feeling that any extra days on Halmahera would have been frustratingly slow in terms of new birds found.
Steve Anyon-Smith, NSW, Australia steveas@tpg.com.au
Thank you so much again for the most enjoyable and productive birding trip to your islands. I appreciate all your help and
taking care of us. The whole trip was beautiful in addition to the excitement of all the birds. I also thoroughly enjoyed our
day at the island with the snorkeling, exploring the island and the great food.
The surprise concert on our last night was terrific! I loved all of it. Please thank Eddie for me for the rich snorkeling experience.
Pearl S. Jordan, Lakewood, Colorado psjordan11(AT)comcast.net
I still think about our terrific trip everyday. I just finished entering all the bird data into my computer. The final total for me was 181 birds and 116 new birds (+/- a few lies).
Travis MacClendon, Blountstown, Florida, USA travismac(AT)wfeca.net
As for Nurlin's tours, they are both top-flight and a lot of fun. He has professional bird books and knows his birds so well. He treks in places that I am too old to cover, but the places he took me had different endemic birds and he identified them all.
Sense of humor and warmness. This guy, maybe around 30 now, is so outgoing and understands foreigners. He has a guitar which he
lugs around and sings some funny songs in both English and his native Bahasa Indonesia, not to mention his dialect of Kaili from his native village on Sulawesi.
Experience--I first met him when he was an English teacher at a language center in Palu, Central Sulawesi.
Flexible--I asked him to guide my cycling tour customers for the trekking portion, and he was the highlight of their trip. I could not compete in any way. They loved everything he did and said.
He is very patient and hard-working. I watched as he etched black crayon off of a poster he had drawn underneath, all done by hand. He has trekked for days into places I wouldn't imagine going, but the younger bird-watchers loved it. He will work day and night for you.
He loves his family. Everything he does, he does for the people of his village, though he himself remains poor and humble. He is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met.
Richard Fuller, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam richjf2001(AT)yahoo.com

Mark Brazil, your local Birdingpal guide
Mark Brazil is a long-term resident of Hokkaido, and the most experienced natural history guide in the region. An ornithologist by training and a birder, naturalist, photographer and author by inclination, Mark is a newspaper columnist and in addition has written several books relating to Japan:
A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Japan (1987), The Birds of Japan (1991), Wild Asia (2000) and Field Guide to The Birds of East Asia (2009)
Articles:Japan Times. and Japan Visitor.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Mark.

Kaz Shinoda, your local Birdingpal guide.
He lives near Tokyo, the ideal starting point for a birding tour of Japan, or for a few days birding linked to business visits to the capital. He frequently guides individuals and small groups of visiting birders in the Tokyo area on day trips. As a birding guide with more than a decade’s experience, he can guide visiting birders throughout the country as well. As a nationally licensed English-speaking Tour Guide, he is knowledgeable about Japanese geography, history, and especially culture – important subjects that help enhance a birding trip to this unique country. In addition to that, he is a nationally licensed Domestic Travel Service Supervisor. His organizational and logistical skills will be key to the success of your birding trips in Japan.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Kaz.

Testimorial.
We had never been to Hokkaido prior to our visit in mid-March 2010 and Mark not only provided us with an incredible tour of the wildlife that eastern Hokkaido has to offer, but he did so with an amazing passion for what he does and more importantly the Japanese culture. On our two day visit we were able to see a multitude of birds including the Hokkaido's specialties;
Steller's Sea Eagle, Japanese Cranes in various settings (walking across sheets of ice, in the early morning mist, at feeding sites, etc), Blakiston's Fish Owl, and Ural Owl among lots of other great birds and dramatic scenery. This combined with immersing us into the Japanese culture with options to stay at traditional Japanese inns/hot springs and trying the local cuisine, we truly felt like we received the true Hokkaido experience.
We highly recommend Mark as a bird guide for the Hokkaido region as he will undoubtedly provide you with an experience in which you will see some of the most amazing birds and wildlife that Hokkaido has to offer and he will do so with an unbelievable passion that will allow you to truly appreciate the unique Japanese way of life.
Take care and hope to see you soon.
Murray Jukes, USA Murray.Jukes(AT)PoloRalphLauren.com
In mid-October Gillian and I spent a magical four days (October 13-17) with Mark Brazil and his partner Mayumi Kanamura. Our itinerary took us up to northeastern Hokkaido to Lake Tofutso and the Shiretoko Peninsula as well as to Tokachi Plain near Kushiro and the Nopporo Forest near Sapporo. We also had an amazing pelagic trip out of Oshiichi on the Pacific coast near Nemuro.
Mark Brazil is a superb guide in every way, and we had a wonderful time with Mayumi and him. It was our first time ever in Japan and we were introduced to Japanese life and birds in an instructive and delightful way.
The arrangements for the trip were perfect and a sign of Mark's consummate professionalism. All the arrangements fell into place throughout our four days. We stayed in excellent minshuku in Rausu and Lake Furen where the accommodation was both authentic and comfortable and the food in both places absolute feasts of Japanese cuisine. The fish and seafood were out of this world.
These four days of birding in Hokkaido with Mark and Mayumi were among the happiest and most productive birding experiences of our lives. Martin Bowman, Canada pict(AT)riverlink.ca

Cheong Weng Chun, your local Birdingpal guide
BSc. Forestry, majoring in Parks and Recreation Management (UPM).
Weng Chun has traveled to almost every corner of Peninsular Malaysia visiting the jungles, waterfalls, islands, and wetlands.
He started birdwatching in the 90's with a resident bird guide in Fraser's Hill after an introduction by a wildlife lecturer. He is also keen in nature photography and birds being his favorite photography subject, the traveling have indeed benefited his passion for nature photography and bird watching. He is currently affiliated to Malaysian Nature Society's Selangor Bird Group and Oriental Bird Images. He is also a co-moderator for a Malaysian bird watching/photography forum.
Weng Chun is a nature guide licensed under Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, and have been managing one of the wetland parks in the country. He also contributes articles and photos of birds to local magazines.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Weng Chun and Terence.

Testimonial.
For those of you who are looking for a birding guide to Peninsular Malaysia, you can’t go wrong with Cheong Weng Chun. He is knowledgeable, organized and passionate about birding and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip with him. He is very knowledgeable in all aspects of the natural history of Malaysia and he introduced us to the local Malaysian culture. We had the opportunity to travel to Singapore during Christmas week 2011 and visit Peninsular Malaysia in the first week of 2012. Being avid birders, we wanted to spend some quality time in Malaysia birding. After much internet searching and advice from fellow birders, I found Weng Chun via the Birdingpal site, and our adventure began. Weng Chun met us at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport early on a January morning, and before we knew it we were off on what turned out to be a very successful five-day trip. Our first stop was at Paya Indah Wetland where we had a good start with many birds that are fairly common in Malaysia but entirely new to us. Highlights were the Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo. Then off to Kuala Selangor and the paddy fields, where we spent several hours finding raptors, munia, swallows, swifts and many others. The highlight of this area for us were the Cinnamon Bittern, the large flock of white-headed munia and the multitudes of Black-shouldered Kites. At the Taman Alam Nature Reserve, we explored mangroves and found Greater Flameback Woodpecker, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher and Mangrove Whistler. The next two and a half days found us in Fraser’s Hill, a welcome respite from the lowland heat. This delightful area was not only picturesque and beautiful, but we found many many birds here. Highlights included Red-bearded Bee-eater, Yellow-vented Green-pigeon, Green Magpie, Slaty-backed Forktail, Lesser Shortwing, Pygmy Wren-babbler, Rufous Piculet, Great Hornbill, Asian Fairy-bluebird and too many others to mention. We then spent one more day in the Hulu Langat area, birding along back roads and in a lowland forest reserve, where we found Crow-billed Drongo, Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo, Temminck’s Sunbird, and Black-and-Yellow Broadbill. All in all we identified 197 birds during our time with Weng Chun, greatly exceeding our expectations. And best of all we made a new friend. We heartily recommend visiting Malaysia and employing Weng Chun as your guide. Sue & Ed, Massachusetts, USA
Dear Cheong, Thank you for an outstanding 5 days of bird/butterfly watching and nature photography. Your knowledge of birds was excellent, and I greatly appreciate your attention to the smallest details of the trip. I also appreciate your enthusiasm around natural history in general. My favorite was the Sunda Colugo (flying lemur) - I never knew such an animal existed, and this supposedly noctural creature was delightfully active for us.
Feel free to pass on my name and e-mail address as a reference. I can recommend you highly to anyone interested in birdwatching and general natural history.
Kind regards,
Roger Rittmaster, M.D. North Carolina, USA hutchins.rittmaster(AT)verizon.net
Cheong is a great guy. Very friendly and knowledgeable in birds and jungle environment. To me - coming from cold Scandinavia - it was great to be shown so many birds and have such an entertaining day. Cheong is also witty and funny which did make the day
even more fun. Highly recommended - will contact again next time I am in Asia.
Thomas Hagstrom thomas.hagstrom(AT)comdatsec.com
Just a quick note of thanks for arranging the tour to Frasers Hill. I enjoyed it very much. There were 8 lifers in that for me. Hope to bird with you again later this year. Richard Carden (Japan)
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful time that I had in Kuala Selangor and Fraser's Hill. I was impressed by your focus on customer service. It appeared that customer service comes naturally to you. Your attention for details was amazing. Within that short span of time, I could watch and photograph a number of species of birds and monkeys. Before coming to Malaysia, I had never photographed sunbirds. With you on my side, I felt that photographing such a fast species became easier. Thanks for all your help. Sabyasachi Patra (India)
Weng Chun provided a wonderful service. I have a slipped disc, so I could not lift anything. Without his excellent help and consideration, this trip would be impossible. He handled my luggage, showed me the birds, and even took photos for me. He is fun to be with. Dr. Robert Dix (USA), rdix2002(AT)yahoo.com

Terence Ang, your local Birdingpal guide
Terence Ang has travelled to almost every corner of Peninsular Malaysia by visiting the jungles, waterfalls, islands, and wetlands following his interest in nature particularly on birds. He started birdwatching in his early teenager’s years and was particularly interested in raptors and montane birds. He is also keen in nature (especially wildlife) photography especially on birds, as birds has always be his favourite photography subject. He is currently affiliated to Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Field Ornithologist of Sri Lanka. Terence Angis a nature guide licensed under Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia (MOTOUR), and has been managing one of the wetland parks in the country. He also contributes articles and photos of birds to local newsletter, magazines and websites including many rare records sighting and research work. He has been speaker and trainer on bird conservation and ecotourism. He is involved in MOTOUR “An Assessment of the Feasibility of Developing Birdwatching as a Tourism Project”.

Gomboo Gombobaatar, your local Birdingpal guide
Dr. Sundev Gombobaatar (Founder and Vice President of the MOS). Short name is Gomboo. Since 1993, he has worked at the Ornithological Laboratory of the NUM as a lecturer for 12 years. He is one of the founders of the Mongolian Ornithological Society. He is also a national representative of Swan Goose and Baikal Teal Task Force of East Asia, a member of Asian Raptor Research Network Center and a honorary member of the Oriental Bird Club, UK. He has worked on several domestic and the international research projects as biologist, co-leader and field team leader. Professional interests: Wildlife conservation, particularly bird species. Scientific research of wildlife populations and ecological factors affecting distribution and
numbers. Training young people for the Ornithology. Gomboo speaks English, Russian and Mongolian-native.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Gomboo.

Uugan Uuganbauar, your local Birdingpal guide
Ch.Uuganbauar, MSc. Lecturer of Biology-Eco tourism Department, School of Nature Science Mongolian State University of Agriculture. He finished his MSc thesis on Diet studies of Saker Falcon in Central Mongolia under Gomboo and D.Sumiya's supervision at the Laboratory in 2003. He is a lecturer of the State Agriculture University. Numerous publication and papers related to wildlife in Mongolia. Professional interests: Wildlife conservation, particularly bird species. Scientific research
of wildlife populations and ecological factors affecting distribution and numbers. Training young people for the Ornithology. Uuganbayar speaks English, Russian and Mongolian-native.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Uugan.

Thet Zaw Naing, your local Birdingpal guide
I have been running our ecotour company as a Birding Tour Leader and Ecotour Manager for a number of years, and I have been volunteering at Myanmar Bird and Nature Society as a Secretary and Asian Waterbird Census, Wetlands International as a Country Coordinator. For more than ten years I have taken part in many monitoring and other research scientific programs, concerning
regional and migration studies on the avifauna throughout the whole country. I studied the montance birds for my Master of Science degree at Mount Victoria (Natmataung) National Park during 1996 to 1998. From 2001 to 2002 I studied again for ecology of Myanmar's endemic and globally endangered White-browed Nuthatch Sitta victoriae. This research already published at Forktail 19 (2003): 57-62. And also I conducted the waterbird surveys with local birders along coastal Myanmar. This surveys result published at Indian Bird 2 (3): 65-71. I carry out not only bird studies, but also bird and nature conservation awareness programs in schools throughout the whole country. I set to show and help you to enjoy the best Birding in Myanmar.

Lay Win Ko, your local Birdingpal guide
Bird research is become my professional inclination, though I graduated in economics. I have earned my living as a culture tour guide and spent my free time in birding. The then-involved in bird status survey across the country with Thet Zaw Naing and group of Myanmar Bird and Nature Society (MBNS) and working on environmental impact assessment in the north, population status and distribution of Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmeus , population and distribution of Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi in Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region with the group of Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (BANCA). I am also led the birding tours from SST Tourism Co., Ltd. through Myanmar.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Thet and Lay Win .

Testimonials.
Dear Mr Thet Zaw Naing,
We enjoyed very much our three weeks trip to Myanmar in December 2009. Thank you very much for all the arrangements, which were beyond all our expectations. We had a very good combination of birdwatching and culture with perfect balance (more on birds). After the trip we could not think of anything, which could have been done better. During the tour we had all the time a feeling that we were traveling with a friend rather than a hired guide. As a bonus the friend was an expert on birds especially on bird voices.
The sum of bird species in our trip list was 297. The result is more than satisfactory considering our trip was not only for birdwatching. The highlight of our trip was, of course, Mount Victoria with its endemics and the future endemic full species
when all the splitting is done. In my opinion Mt Victoria can be compared to any of the well known hot spots of SE Asia. There were no crowds and hazzle in the mountain, which gave us the illusion that the whole mountain was just for us. After some years there will surely be many groups birdwatching at the same time.
Looking forward to see you next year.
Markku and Anne (Finland) markku.tunturi(AT)dnainternet.net
I wish to commend wholeheartedly Thet Zaw Naing as an excellent tour manager, and also to recommend him for tours into the remotest parts of Myanmar. From 2003 to 2007 my several expeditions to north, central, south and south-west parts of Myanmar to look for birds and their habitats which is organized by Thet. Without his sharp eyes and excellent knowledge of birds and nature we would not have been able to record so many different species. As well as being thoroughly professional in his work, Thet Zaw Naing is a most pleasing companion. The success of the expeditions and my enjoyment of it were due in no small measure to him. I recommend his service without reservation, and would be happy to discuss my experience with any who would like additional information regarding my personal experience with him.
Joost van der Ven, Daru Ltd. Netherlands, javdv(AT)kpnplanet.nl
It is my pleasure to express my great appreciation for the efficient and considerate service of Ko Thet Zaw Nyaing and to recommend him without hesitation. I have worked in Myanmar for ten years and have known Thet Zaw Nyaing since then. He was, in fact, a key component in the establishment of the Myanmar Bird and Nature Society and has continued to be a major influence in its good development. Thet Zaw Nyaing has accompanied me on numerous birding expeditions, including trips to search for endemic species (always successful), and in one instance, we discovered a species not before seen in the particular area we were visiting. Thet's knowledge of Myanmar birds and their habitat, his background, his ability to spot, and his always friendly attitude combine to make him among the best bird guides in the region. Thet Zaw Nyaing continues his scientific study of birds in Myanmar and has been awarded various grants by international organizations to continue his work. He devotes his time and energy not only to the scientific and birdwatching communities, but also to conservation and education among students and his fellow countrymen and women. It is my honor to give my full recommendation of this dedicated young man.
Brenda Davidson-Shaddox, San Antonio, Texas USA. stonflower(AT)aol.com
Thet Zaw Naing provided expert guidance for our birding trips to a number of sites across Myanmar (Burma) in 2006, including Mount Victoria in the Southern Chin State. He located numerous rare species for us, including a significant number of endemics and near-endemics. We were delighted to see several White-browed Nuthatches, and enjoyed an excellent view of Red-faced Liocichla emerging from low vegetation only a couple of feet away. In all we identified over 100 species, the majority of which were new to us.Without Thet's encyclopaedic knowledge, sharp eyes, and knowledge of both the terrain and the birds' habitual behaviours, we would have seen only a fraction of these birds. We quickly realized that Thet is a world class ornithologist (arguably the best in Myanmar) and we felt privileged to have him as our bird guide. We have no hesitation in saying that he is the perfect companion for the expert birder. One might reasonably expect him to be impatient with novice bird watchers, but this is not the case at all - even when bird names were forgotten for the fifth time, he patiently supplied the identification. In our view, whether you are a back-garden amateur bird watcher or an inveterate twitcher, Thet will ensure that you have an excellent time bird watching in Myanmar.
Anne Redston and David Earle, Devon, England. anne.redston(AT)virgin.net

Nepal

Shankar Tiwari your local Birdingpal guide
Shankar Tiwari the most demanding bird guide based in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal has started his carrier at very early age from Chitwan National Park. He has 25 years of experience in tourism specially handling very serious bird watchers & other nature lovers from round the world, most of the time from UK, USA, Europe & Japan. Shankar has very good knowledge about all National Parks, Wildlife Reserves & Conversation Areas in Nepal & birds in India including Andaman Island & Srilanka. He is the one who has seen maximum species of birds in Nepal (over 800 species) including most of the rare birds like Satyr Tragopan, Lammergeier, Spiny Babbler, Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Nepal Cutia, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Parrotbills etc.
Shankar is very conscious about environment, he is educating school children through Green Clubs co-ordinated by himself in his home town - Chitwan, where small students do cleaning campaigns and do plantation in public & private areas. He always motivates for minimum uses of plastic bags and energies like diesel, petrol & others. Shankar also operates birding tours within country and beyond like India, Sri Lanka, Tibet & Bhutan.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Shankar.

Testimonials.
We have been with Shankar on 2 trips to Nepal (Lowlands and Langtang Trek), 2 trips to India (South India & Andamans and northern India) and one to Sri Lanka. Where ever we go to with Shankar, he is a great companion and excellent bird guide and his organizing skills always very helpful. He is without doubt one of the best guides we ever had the honour to travel with, his brilliance in the field is outstanding, his knowledge of the birds and their vocalization exceptional. Shankar has a great enthusiasm for nature and birds and never gets tired to show us as many birds as possible. We can only highly recommend him and are proud to call him friend. Manfred and Petra Rank, Germany
I can thoroughly recommend Shankar Tiwari for birding tours to Nepal and other Countries. He is an excellent bird guide and a very kind, considerate person. He leads tours with ease and is helpful and personable. I have been with him birding in Nepal, Malaysia and India on several occasions and I have traveled with many other bird guides and he is one of the best, he knows his country well and the birds also. Roger A. Dodds, England

Zahoor Salmi your local Birdingpal guide
I'm working as a freelance professional birding/wildlife tour guide and lives near Islamabad capital city. I am one of the very experienced photographer and guide and has in-depth knowledge of wildlife in Pakistan and serving for the past 12 years. Our country has birding all year round. While migration time adds up over 400 species to name a few, we have Bee Eaters, including Blue-tailed resident breeder, Kingfishers (White-breasted, Common and Pied), Barbets, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Gold and Rose Finch, Waders and Raptors.
I can provide you complete list of available birds in particular season. If you are interested, I can also guide in seeing mammals such as Fruit Bat, Weasels, Marmot, Meerkat, Himalayan Brown Bear just to name a few. I can be contacted either on facebook or email. For voice call please email me, and I will provide you my phone details.You can see my pictures here

For more information about birdwatching in Pakistan please send a message to Zahoor.

Bilal K Qazi your local Birdingpal guide
I live in the famous city of Lahore in Pakistan which is known to be the heart of my country. This city is no suburb or village but a city with approximately 8.5 million people residing in it. Being well educated and well versed in the wildlife and biodiversity of my country I am able to move around inside my city and cities surrounding it as well. I can take people to places like Head Maralla.
I have been talking bird photographs for the last 6 years professionally. I started using a camera when I was around 5 and loved the wildlife. My keen hobby turned into a passion and now I travel all across the country to show people from my country and around the globe the beautiful flora and fauna of my homeland. I have taken trips to Kashmir, Uschalli Lake, Kahbaiki Lake, Saiful Malook Lake, Kalar Kahar, Changa Manga (One of the largest man made jungles). I am well versed and have excellent command on written and spoken English.
I provide full tour packages for birding starting from booking your tickets, to welcoming you, arranging for your accommodation, traveling and food.You can see my pictures here

For more information about birdwatching in Pakistan please send a message to Bilal.

Philippines

Rommel M. Cruz, your local Birdingpal guide
He has been guiding birdwatchers from across the world since he was 25 years old. He is one of the founding members of Birwatch-Palawan Ornithological Society and currently working at Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. Visual and acoustical identification of birds and mammals are his expertise. He is also a zookeeper and a wildlife conservationist

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Rommel.

Testimonials.
Rommel Cruz has guided me on several occasions. The most important was a visit to South Palawan in 2007. Tourist infrastructure is not existing in that area, so a good guide is absolutely necessary. The reason to visit the area was to check the activities of the wardens of the Rizal project of Katala Foundation. The area still has a good population of birds nesting in cavities: Blue-naped Parrot, Hill Myna, Palawan Hornbill and a few Philippine Cockatoos. Without garding everything would be poached and sold for the pet trade.
Transport and accommodation with the local people was arranged without any problem. Rommel was able to combine his job and to bring me to the different places I wanted to see.
My experience with Rommel as a guide is, that he will arrange everything as good as possible, he sees it as his responsibility to take care of his guest. His English is very good, he is able to understand the wishes of his guests and to communicate about it. If you want to see a special bird, he will give you a honest answer about where, when and how much chance. This is very important in a country like Philippines. I have been disappointed with other guides in the Philippines, a lot of promises and costs and not much result. Not with Rommel. Benedict De Laender, Belgium
Rommel has a great knowledge of the birds on Palawan and, more importantly where to see them. He will organize bird trips to your specification and speaks excellent English. He is courteous, considerate and anyone using his services will be doing themselves a favor. Kevin J Brewin, Anti Piracy Consultant, ORCHID MARITIME

Chandima Jayaweera, your local Birdingpal guide
Fifty year old Chaminda Jayaweera also known as Jaya has had extensive experience of more than twenty years as a tour guide. His specialty is birdwatching tours. He is also well versed in mammals, dragonflies and butterflies and an enthusiastic wildlife photographer too. He has undergone many training session with eminent Sri Lankan wildlife photographer Gehan de Silva Wijeratne. Jaya is a qualified bird watching tour guide who is licensed by the Ceylon Tourist Board. He has also followed the Certificate Course in Wildlife Conservation & Management conducted by the Open University of Sri Lanka, Diploma on Waterfalls in Sri Lanka conducted by Lanka Council on Waterfalls and is an active Life member of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL).
During his long career, Jaya has worked with Professors Sarath Kotagma (Dept of Environment and Science, University of Colombo), Jeremy Gray (ERM Dept, University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland) and M T Sivajothy (Dept of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, UK). Professor Caroline Harcourt of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge has commended Jaya highly as a birdwatching tour guide in Sri Lanka. Jaya also conducted photography tours in Sri Lanka for well known UK wildlife photographers David Hosking FRPS and Martin Withers FRPS.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Chandima.

Testimorial.
05th Dec to 18th Dec 2010. Jayaweera was the best! Very polite, knowledgeable & helpful. We felt very safe with him & he looked after us very well. We would recommend him to everyone. He passion is wildlife & birds and he knows every single bird in Sri Lanka. He was great company & we`ve thoroughly enjoyed having him as our Driver Guide. Robert & Sarah Harvey-UK
19th Dec 2010 to 09th Jan 2011. Jayaweera was helpful, resourceful and knowledgeable. He is having very good knowledge of birds and wildlife. Stephen and Jane Cotton-UK
Jan and Feb 2011. Thank you for guiding us for 2 weeks in Jan and Feb 2011. Your knowledge and expertise made all the difference to our holiday. We don't really think of ourselves as "birders" because we are interested in all aspects of natural history and culture, so your wide-ranging interests matched ours very well. You were always very patient with us, if we couldn't see something or recognise something we'd seen plenty of times before. You were enthusiastic without being obsessive. You also piloted us round Sri Lanka roads without incident and proved capable of achieving things in hotels, that the hotel staff seemed unable to do. No water in your room? Leave it to Jaya! Our thanks. Stephen and Jane Cotton-UK

Simon Liao, your local Birdingpal guide
Simon Liao (Liao Shih-Ching) was a mathematics teacher and school principal in Changhua, Taiwan. His serious interest in birds began in adulthood, after a bird walk with his young sons. Simon’s subsequent desire to learn about birds led him to establish the Changhua Wild Bird Society in 1991. He became Executive Secretary, then President. He established the Ba-Gua Mountain Bird Fair, which first took place on March 21, 1991 and hosted the event annually for the next 10 years on Ba-Gua Mountain (Baguashan) on the outskirts of Changhua. The Fair celebrates the northward spring migration of the Gray-faced Buzzard over Taiwan. The event also promotes environmental and conservation education through the schools and to the general public, and attracts thousands of visitors. In 1999, the global organization BirdLife International, recognized the Fair as a model for the world.
Also in 1991, Mr. Liao felt that the decades-old practice of shooting the Gray-faced Buzzards during their migration, should stop. Thousands of these birds were being killed each year for the taxidermy trade, for export. He set up a team to visit schools to explain to the students, why the hunt should stop. With the aid of the media, he reached out to the public at large with the same message. Within a year, the annual hunt ceased.
Simon Liao is Formal Chair of the Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan. In 2002, while living in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, he organized the first Canada Taiwan Bird Fair, in Vancouver, BC, an annual event to raise international awareness of birds, their protection and habitat conservation in Canada and Taiwan, and facilitate the exchange of information between the two countries. He is President of the International Taiwan Birding Association, established in 2003.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Simon.

Testimorial.
To Whom It May Concern:
It has been my pleasure to have Simon Liao guide for me in Taiwan on two occasions. He is an excellent bird guide, possessing a vast knowledge of the whereabouts of the Taiwanese birds. Simon is fluent in English, has a harismatic personality, and is generous with his time. I have consider myself very fortunate to have had Simon guide for me while in Taiwan.
Sincerely; Michael & Susan Carmody, Legacy Tours, MDCarmody(AT)comcast.net

Pank Thongchai Siriport, your local Birdingpal guide
Pank Thongchai Siriport,(1960) the senior bird guide in Wild Bird Eco Tour. He have good skill leading birdwatching groups in the country, bird photagraphy and good relationship with you.
He lead many photographic bird tours each year for photographers from around the world who visit Thailand for it's beautiful birds.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Pank.

Testimorial.
Hi Par, I want to thank you for an amazing experience - you worked very hard, and so did I! But, the results were worth it all. My highlights would definitely be the Spoonbilled Sandpiper, Silver Oriole, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, all the Kingfishers, and Stonechat. I thought Khao Yai was fantastic and we will spend more time there next time.
Cheers, K C Choo, Canada, www.kcchoophoto.com
Hello Par and Pank, We enjoyed the trip very much. No commplaint from anyone. Steven like your company service better than from the other company...so He want to go again in December with BirdEco. Do not worry ...we are only 50% birder...So saw so many lifer in this trip and is very happy. I think altogether he spotted about 25 lifers. Steven (sharkspin) got his Indian Roller/Green Bee-eater and Hoopoe....and he have good food so he is very happy. Me? I got many action shot of Gulls and terns in breeding plumage. Also got the Green Bee-eater nest...so I am happy. We had a good time ....and enjoyed having MAC and Pank to be our guide too. I will definately plan another trip to Thailand and will definately use WildBirdEco because of the good service and more importantly ...because of my friends who are WildBirdEco. Or maybe Sharkspin will plan ...he is hooked.
Hilary Hoe, Singapore, www.fleetingvisions.com/

Bui Duc Tien, your local Birdingpal guide
Was Born in Ninh Binh Province 17/6/1972. Living with family in Cuc Phuong National Park, my wife is a Park's staff cook, who will serve you every meals during the time you birding here. We have 2 sons. I've been a bird guide in Cuc Phuong since 1998. I am a full time birdwatching guide covering all of Vietnam. I studied for management and protection of forest resource, so I also know about trees and plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. I've have started bird photograph tours in Cuc Phuong, Da Lat and Cat Tien. I know good spots for bird photography, so that I can take care you on birdwatching and/or bird photography tours.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Duc Tien.

Testimorial.
Thanks again for a wonderful birding trip to Cuc Phuong. I'm sorry for all the time you had to spend searching for trogons and pittas! I was very happy with everything I was able to see. After you left, I got wonderful views of a Pied Falconet very close along that side road, and also of a Racket-tailed Treepie, so I ended up with good looks at both treepie species. We also had good luck with the jacanas - I attach one of the best photos. There was also a young grebe in the same area with an interesting head pattern - almost like a finfoot. I attach a photo for your possible interest. As we left, a large dark duck flew over, headed toward the Van Long reserve area. Definitely a duck, not a cormorant. All I could make out was overall dark color, no contrasting patterns. Perhaps a whistling-duck, but it seemed heavier-bodied. A mystery! Thanks again. If I am ever able to return to Vietnam, I will certainly book another birding trip with you. I hope that will happen! Pepper, July 2013
Wow! That is brilliant Tien. Was it hard to see? I do want to come back to Vietnam to see more primates with you.
Do you mind if I add the picture to my blog to tell people? Happy new year to you - I hope everything is going well for you. Jon, January 2013
Dear Mr. Bui Duc Tien, Thanks again for guiding me so proficiently! It has been a great trip so far, and I have learned a lot. Yours very truly, Gary. June 201